University student at the University of Edinburgh, Peter Trimble, first met the bacteria of SPOROSARCINA PASTEURII, which is sometimes used to strengthen the soil to fix the road signs on the spot. He tested this bacterium with one of the most popular natural resources on the planet – with sand. And then added to this nutrients – fertilizers and calcium. After a year of work, according to the combination of these components, as well as hundreds of unsuccessful experiments, he created the material and produced a stool from it, which has 70% compressive strength like concrete.
The process of creating material required only one sixth energy, which is used to produce concrete, and the result turned out to be a biologically clean product – a good alternative to concrete. In addition, trible believes that its technique has another advantage – anyone can use it, anywhere. If you have ordinary frames for creating blocks, you just use bacteria and sand from your territory and create your own building material.
Tribal is now working with non -state organizations for using Dupe (as he calls his material) for the construction of settlements in Morocco. And while the use of trimble material is something new and experimental, the development of such ideas today is increasingly considered by architects as a necessity. For example, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, 40% of carbon dioxide emissions in the world, 40% of landfills account for the construction industry. Concrete, brick and cement are dominant materials from the beginning of the industrial revolution at the beginning of the 19th century, but with increased pressure on climate and natural resources, scientists and architects consider it necessary to make changes to these materials.
Construction bacteria
Bacteria for a long time in the center of alternative methods for the production of building materials. Startup biomason in North Carolina grows bricks on an industrial scale, cultivated from sand and microorganisms. The company won many prizes and financial support. Bricks biomason will be first used this year to build pedestrian paths in a number of projects around the world. The key advantage of these bricks is not only their environmental purity, but also fire resistance, which is achieved without adding any chemicals.
Other companies are engaged in similar projects. British architects see the opportunity to cultivate life in deserts thanks to building materials from bacteria, and NASA believes that bacteria can resolve the issue of building bases on other planets without a headache regarding the transportation of materials.
Bacterial processes save coal (and, consequently, carbon emissions), but there are fears that by -products can be poisonous. But another “child” of researchers – a brick of mushrooms – has no such problems.
Functional mushroom
New York firm Ecovative produces materials from agricultural waste. For example, corn raw materials with mycelium mushrooms. For five days, mycelia bind waste until the block is created with a stronger compression strength than the concrete. In this case, there is no need to use heat or energy that is used to produce brick.
Ecension products are used today in the packaging industry, but the company is expanding towards the construction industry. In the near future, the new building material will be tested in the construction of an architectural idea as part of the Museum of Modern Art Museum in New York.
The world’s largest structure made with zero output of carbon will be the Hy-Fi building. It will be formed from three 40-foot spiral towers built of mushroom material with different properties of bricks to maximize light and ventilation.
Bio-chicken is temporary material and this distinguishes it from traditional materials. The future of their use so far includes temporary stores, festival tents, shelters, but there is a hope that the industry will grow and develop, creating products with a longer service life.